Railway-frog.



No. 642,867. Patented Feb. 6, I900. D. MAGPHERSUN.

RAILWAY FROG. (Application filed June 10, 1898.)

(No Model.) 4 Sheets8heet I.

(inventor 'm: Nomus PETERS co, morauwo wnSHmC-You u c No. 642,867.Patented Feb. 6, I900.

D. MACPHERSON.

RAILWAY FROG.

(Application filed June 10, 189 8.)

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2,

n4: NORRIS PETERS cu, rnotoumu, wxsnmcvon. n. c.

7v s m M u m w 6 m 1 b e m F s 4 w m e l C n M c a a m D. MACPHE BSON.RAILWAY FROG.

(Apphcatlon filed June 10 1898 TNE Norms PETERS o0. PHOTO LTNO.. WASHINN (N 0 Model.)

witnesses No. 642,867. Patented Feb. 6, I900. D. MAGPHERSOM RAILWAYFROG.

(Application filed June 10, 1898.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

THE- nonms PETERS co. momu'mou WASHINGTON, u. c,

DUNCAN MAOPHERSON, OF MONTREAL, CANADA.

RAILWAY-FROG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,867, dated February6, 1900.

Application filed June 10, 1898.

T 60% whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DUNCAN MACPHERSON, of the city of Montreal, in thedistrict of Montreal and Province of Quebec, Canada, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Switches; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same.

My invention may be said, briefly, to relate to the long and shortfrog-rails of a switch of the class illustrated and described by me inLetters Patent of the United States No. 465,531, of December 22, 1891;No. 524,332, of August 24, 1894, andNo. 552,916, of January 14, 1896,and t0 the means for actuating said switch; and the object of theinvention is to produce a stronger and more effective switch than hasbeen possible heretofore.

For full comprehension of the invention reference must be' had to theaccompanying drawings, in which like symbols indicate the same parts,and wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch constructed according tomy invention and set for the main line. Fig. 2 is a similar view,

' but with the switch set for a siding; Fig. 3,

a transverse vertical sectional view taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2; Fig. 4,an enlarged detail sectional view of the frog, taken also on line 3 3,Fig. 2; Fig. 5, an enlarged detail side elevation of a portion of theinside of the long frograil, illustrating means for preventing thecanting of the frog; Fig. 6, a transverse vertical sectional viewthereof, taken on line 6 6, Fig. Fig. 7, a plan view drawn to a largerscale than Fig. 2 of the long and short fro rails set for a siding andwith one of the mainline rails shown in chain lines; Fig. 8, a sideelevation of the long fro -rail; Fig. 9, a side elevation of theshortfrog-rail; Fig. 10, a similar view to Fig. 5, but illustrating amodified means for preventing the canting of the long frog-rail; Fig.11, a transverse vertical sectional view thereof, taken on line 11 11,Fig. Fig. 12, an enlarged detail side elevation of the spring forretaining the parts in their normal position; Fig. 13, a plan viewthereof. Fig. 14 is a horizontal sectional detail showing method ofstrengthening hinge connection between stationary and movable rails.

My invention is illustrated as applied to a double-track system,although the improve- Serial No. 683,144. (No model.)

ments in the frog embodied therein are applicable with equal ad vantageto sin gle-track systems.

The main-line rails 5 5 are unbroken, and the rails of the switch and myimproved frog are arranged in a similar position relatively to the saidmain-line rails as in the abovementioned Letters Patent.

7 indicates that portion of an inner broken turnout-rail which restsbetween the main rails and is fully spiked, so as to securely hold it inposition.

8 indicates that portion of the inner broken turnout-rail which rests onthe outside of the main-track rails and is also fully spiked, and 9indicates the inner member of my improved frog, which is hinged in animproved manner (to be presently described) to the heel of rail 7 and ismounted upon plates 11, spiked to the sleepers or ties, so that it willrest sufficiently high to enable the flanges of wheels passing it toclear the main rail 5. This frog member 9 may be and preferably is forthe sake of economy formed of a piece of ordinary steel rail, and byreason of its being mounted upon the plates 11 it is adapted to overlapthe rail 5, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and conduct the wheels ofa train across the same. The said member 9 is bent horizontally, as at12 and 13, in order that its central portion will set parallel to themain rail 5 when it is in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 7, and

its free end will rest away from the rail 5 and not ofier an obstructionto the passage of the wheels of a train traveling in the direction in*dicated by arrow in Fig. 2, and the said end is beveled, as indicated at14, while the portion 15 of this frog member 9, extending from thisbeveled end to the horizontal bend 13, is also bent vertically downwardand set down or planed off to a short distance beyond the bend 13, sothat it will not be struck by worn flanges nor be caught by anythinghanging from a passing train.

16 indicates the outer frog member, which is hinged also in an improvedmanner (to be presently described) to the end of the turnout-rail 8 andis mounted similarly to the member 9 upon plates 11, spiked to the ties,so as to enable it also to overlap the main rails, as clearly shown inFigs 3 and 4. This member 16, like the inner member 9, may be andpreferably is formed of a piece of steel rail, but is bent verticallydownward, as at 21, and upward, as at 22, to make it parallel to themain length and laterally or horizontally, as at 23, and it preferablyhas the inner side of its head or free end planed off, as indicated at18, so as to permit the wheels to pass from the member 9 onto it withoutknocking against or damaging it and without jolting, and also has theupper side of its head beveled at its free end, as indicated at 19, soas to enable the flanges of the wheels to better engage it as they passoff of the member 9, and, furthermore, has the point of its free endrecessed, as at 20, to prevent it being struck.

When my improved frog is in the position shown in Fig. 1, (or out ofoperation,) it will be observed that both members 9 and 16 rest at sucha distance from the main rail 5 that they will not be touched, andconsequently will not be damaged by the wheels of fast trains passingover the main-track rails,which are the chief factors in damaging anddestroying frogs, and it will also be observed that by virtue of themain rail being unbroken and continuous and the frog members resting ata considerable distance from the same there can be no possibility ofloose or wide-gage wheels taking the wrong side of the frog-point. Itwill also be observed that when the frog is in the position shown inFigs. 2 and 7 or set for a siding it is just as strong as a fixed frogand is just as reliable, if not more so, and, furthermore, when set fora siding my improved frog will permit the wheels of a train moving onmain track in the direction indicated by arrow in Fig. 2 to pass throughwithout any rise or jolt, the flanges of the wheels pressing against thefrog member 9, while the outer sides of the wheels press against themember 16, forcing it outward sufliciently to shear the pin 48 (to bepresently fully described) and allow the spring connection to work, andit will thus be seen that the strain on the parts of the frog is equallydistributed, and consequently neither the members 9 16 nor any of theparts connected therewith will be szrained out of shape or otherwisedamage My improved frog may be used to advantage in conjunction withvarious kinds of switches and may be operated through the medium of anysuitable mechanism. I prefer, however, to use the frog in conjunctionwith the switch disclosed in my said United States patents and operateit through the medium of improved mechanism, which is designed to beconnected with improved switchoperating mechanism, (to be presentlydescribed,) both switch and frog being operated in concert in theordinary manner from a single switch-stand. (Not shown.)

The frog-operating mechanism comprises a connecting-plate 25,which isconnected with the frog member 9 by bolts 26, a plate 27, connected withthe frog member 16 by bolts 28, the T-lever 29, and the rods 30, whichare pivotally connected to the ends of the opposite arms of the levers29 and are pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the respectiveplates 25 and 27. This construction, as is obvious, will enable the frogmembers 9 and 16 to be moved simultaneously in opposite directionstoward or from the main rail 5, according to the direction in which thelever 29 is rocked.

A red 32 is pivotally connected to the arm 33 of the lever 29 at one endand connected also pivotally at its other end to one arm 34 of acompensating lever, this rod being preferably broken in order to includea yieldin g device, to be presently described. To the other arm 35 ofthe compensating lever one end of a rod 36 is pivotally connected, theother end of such latter rod being pivotally connected to one arm187 ofa bell-crank lever, preferably fulcrumed, as at 38, to a plate 39, whilethe other arm thereof is pivotally connected, as at 40, to the slide-bar41 of the switch-operating mechanism. For doubletrack roads or where theswitch-stand is located on the same side as the stub-rail this slide-bar41 is operatively connected at one end to the switch-stand, (which maybe of any approved construction and is not shown,) while its other end42 takes through an opening in the vertical offset portion of avertically and horizontally offset end 43 of a short bar 44, connectedby a sliding connection consisting, preferably, of a pair of staplelikebrackets 45 45 to a bar 46. This bar 46 has (like the bar 44) one endvertically and horizontally offset, as at 47, the verticallyoffsetportion being perforated to take over the bar 41, to which it isconnected by means of a pin 48, sufficiently strong to resist pressureunder normal conditions, but adapted to break or be sheared by a passingtrain, as before mentioned, in the event of the switch being set wrong,and a nut 49, the pin 48 and this nut 49 being located, respectively, onopposite sides of said vertically-offset portion, the pin being on theside adjacent to the switch-stand,while the horizontally-offset portioncarries an eye 49, to be further alluded to presently. This bar-46 isconnected in any desired manner to the turnout-rails of the switch, andthe horizontally-offset portion of the bar 44 is perforated, as at 58,to allow of the free passage therethrough of the screwthreaded stem 56of an eye 57. The stem 56, the end 42 (which is screw-threaded) of thebar 41, and the short bar 44 are adjustably localized relatively to oneanother by means of the pairs of nuts 57 57 and 58 58, adapted to takeupon the said stem 56 and the end of the bar 41, respectively, said nutsbeing located on opposite sides of said offset portion 43 of the bar 44,while a coiled spring 60, having its ends hooked, as at 61, isconnected, by means of said hooked ends, to the eyes 49 and 57.

Heretofore when a train of cars passed over an adjustable frog it hasbeen found that the lateral strain would be at times entirely upon thebolts of the hinges connecting the frograils with the lead-rails, whichproved at times to be a serious defect, owing to the liability of saidbolts to breakage or to become loose. To obviate this defect is theobject of myimprovements to the switch-hinges. I will only describe indetail the application thereof to the hinge connecting the outer frogmember 16 to the turnout-rail 8. The hinge-plates 64 and 65 areconnected, as usual, to the webs 66 67, respectively, of said rails 16and 8 by bolts and nuts 68; but I prefer to arrange a pair ofbracing-plates 69 and '70 on the opposite side of said webs. The plate69 is set with its end a short distance back from the end of the web 67,while the adjacent end 71 of the plate is adapted to project a shortdistance beyond the end of the web 66, said plates being held in placeby the bolts 68. A further defect that is sometimes evident inadjustable frogs having an overhanging rail, such as 9, is that suchrail is liable to turn on its base or cant when the wheels are passingover it. To obviate this defect, I provide supporting means carried bysaid rail 9 and adapted to permanently establish the distance betweenthe under side of the overhanging portion and the upper surface of theportion of the main rail it overhangs. To this end Isecure a steel strap75, recessed on one side, as at '76, to partially inclose one edge ofthe head of the rail 9, to which it is secured by rivets '77, this strapbeing of sufficient vertical thickness to rest upon the surface of themain-rail head when the frog is set for a siding, or a series of blocks80, having screw-threaded projections adapted to take intoscrew-threaded perforations in the rail-head 81, can be substituted forthe strap 75 with practically the same results.

What I claim is as follows:

1. The short frog-rail for railway-switches having a horizontal bend andalso bent vertically at two points, thus presenting two parallelportions 011 different levels with an inclined portion between, the headbeing planed off at an angle near its free end and recessed on one sideof such end portion, for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination'with an unbroken main rail and portions of a brokenturnout-rail arranged upon opposite sides of the main rail, a frogcomprising a short frog-rail having a horizontal bend and also bentvertically at two points thus presenting two parallel portions ondifferent levels with an inclined portion between, the head being planedoff at an angle near its free end and recessed on one side of such endportion, and a long frog-rail having two horizontal bends and a verticalbend having the effect of downwardly inclining both the upper and lowersides of the forward portion of the rail and the upper side being alsoplaned to an oblique angle substantially as shown and described and forthe purpose set forth.

3. In combination with a frog-rail adapted to overlap a main rail,detachable means carried by the frog-rail for preventing canting of thelatter when in working position and borne upon, as set forth.

4. In combination with a frog-rail adapted to overlap a main rail;detachable means consistin g of a projection carried by the frog-railand adapted to rest upon the main rail to prevent canting of thefrog-rail when in working position and borne upon as set forth.

5. In combination with a frog-rail adapted to overlap a main rail; meansconsisting of rivets projecting from the under side of the frog-rail andadapted to rest upon the main rail to prevent canting of such frog-railwhen in working position and borne upon as set forth.

6. In combination with the stationary and movable portions of afrog-rail, hinge-plates located on one side of the rails andbracingplates on the opposite side of the rails With suitableconnecting-bolts; one of said bracing-plates being set with its innerend a short distance back from the hinge end of thestationary rail andthe other bracing-plate projecting beyond the hinge end of the movablerail to overlap the stationary rail for the purpose set forth.

- '7. A connection easily changed from rigid to flexible for connectingtogether certain of the parts of switch-operating mechanism andconsisting of a pair of bars each having an integral offset end, asliding connection between the main portions of said bars, a yieldingconnection between the offset portions thereof, a frangible rigidconnection between said ofiset portions, and said bars being con nectedrespectively to the switch-stand and switch, for the purpose set forth.

8. A connection easily changed from rigid to flexible for connectingtogether certain of the parts of switch-operating mechanism andconsisting of a pair of bars each having an integral offset end, asliding connection be tween the main portions of said bars, a coiledspring connecting the ofiset portions thereof, means for varying thetension of said spring, a frangible rigid connection between said 0&-set portions, and said bars being connected respectively to theswitch-stand and switch, for the purpose set forth.

9. A connection easily changed from rigid to flexible for connectingtogether certain of the parts of switch-operating mechanism andconsisting of a pair of offset bars a sliding connection between themain portions of said bars, a coiled spring connecting the offsetportions thereof; a screw-threaded rod connected through intermediariesto the switch-stand and taking freely through perforations in saidoffset portions; a pair of nuts taking upon said rod and located one oneach side of the ofiset portion of one of said bars; a nut taking uponsaid rod and located at one side of the offset portion of the other ofsaid bars and a pin taking through said rod adjacent to the IIO otherside thereof; this last-mentioned bar being connected throughintermediaries to the switch, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

10. In combination with an unbroken main rail and portions of a brokenturnout-rail ar ranged upon opposite sides of the main rail, a frogcomprising a member connected in a hinged manner with the end of theinner turnout-rail portion, and bent so that when it is adjusted againstsaid main rail and its free end rest away from same, detachable meanscarried by said member adapted to prevent the canting of same, and asecond member connected in a hinged manner with the end of the outerturnoutrail portion and adapted to be adjusted against the opposite sideof the main rail with respect to the first-mentioned member, and meansfor adjusting said members substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

11. In combination with an unbroken main rail and portions of a brokenturnout-rail arranged upon opposite sides of the main rail, a frogcomprising a member connected in a hinged manner with the end of theinner turnout-rail portion, and bent so that when it is adjusted againstsaid main rail, its central portion will set parallel to the main railand its free end rest away from same, detachable means carried by saidmember adapted to prevent the canting of same, and a second memberconnected in a hinged manner with the end of the outer turnoutrailportion and adapted to be adjusted against the opposite side of the mainrail with respect to the firstmentioned member, said second memberhaving the portion thereof that comes in contact with the main railupwardly offset in an inclined plane and bent horizontally, and meansfor adjusting said members, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

12. In combination with an unbroken main rail and portions of a brokenturnout-rail arranged upon opposite sides of the main rail, a frogcomprising a member connected in a hinged manner with the end of theinner turnout-rail portion, and bent so that when it is adjusted againstits main rail, its central portion will set parallel to the main railand its free end rest away from said main rail, detachable means adaptedto prevent the canting of same, consisting of a device carried rigidlyby said member and adapted to rest upon the main rail; and a secondmember connected in a hinged manner with the end of the outerturnout-rail and adapted to be adjusted against the opposite side of themain rail with respect to the first-mentioned member, and means foradjusting said members, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

13. In combination with an unbroken main rail and portions of a brokenturnout-rail arranged upon opposite sides of the main rail, a frogcomprising a member connected in a hinged manner with the end of theinnerturnout-rail portion, and bent so that when it is adjusted againstsaid main rail, its central portion will set parallel to the main railand its free end rest away from said main rail, means adapted to preventthe canting of said member, and a second member connected in a hingedmanner with the end of the outer turnout-rail portion and adapted to beadjusted against the opposite side of the main rail with respect to thefirst-mentioned member, said hinges consisting of hinge-plates 64 and 65connected to the webs of the turnoutrails and frog-rails respectivelyhaving plates 69 and 70, 69 being secured to one of said webs and setwith its end a short distance back from the end of said web and 70 beingsecured to the other of said webs and set with its end, '71, projectingbeyond the web to overlap the adjacent end of said first-mentioned web;and means for adjusting said members, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

DUNCAN MAOPIIERSON.

\Vitnesses:

WILLIAM: P. MoFEAT, FRED J. SEARS.

